Breaking Waves
by Mabis
Summary: Phoenix and Miles are each struggling for what they want, and soon discover sometimes the best relationships are formed when we fight the hardest for them. Eventual pairings: Phoenix/Miles and Franziska/Adrian. Set after T&T, eventual AU to AJ.
1. Chapter 1

It was possibly the easiest defense of Phoenix's career, but a win was a win. The prosecution had flimsy evidence, and their one witness finally admitted to not even being at the crime scene when the crime happened. If only all his cases were this easy. The only downside was that he wouldn't get paid as much, and he barely had enough money for rent this month as it is. Oh well, there were always other cases he could take. People were actually starting to ask him to represent them, which was something new and exciting. Finally his reputation as a defense attorney was starting to take off. Just in time, too, because Maya wasn't there to suddenly announce who their next client was.

Phoenix was about to exit the courthouse, when he thought he saw someone wearing a familiar color jacket at the far end of the lobby, almost out of sight. Without even thinking, he rushed over to where he saw it. Just the idea of seeing him again made his heart jump. Was that really Edgeworth? He hadn't talked to him in almost a year, and he had no idea that he was coming back. Last he heard, Edgeworth was studying law in England, and that was months ago. Phoenix wrote him letters, and sent plenty of email, but responses were few and far between. The few times he tried calling Edgeworth were met with failure. Yet suddenly, here he was, like he hadn't been gone at all.

"Edgeworth, is that you?" he asked as soon as he caught up.

The man turned around, and sure enough, it was Miles Edgeworth.

Phoenix became elated. "I had no idea you were back! Why didn't you tell me?"

Frowning, Edgeworth looked characteristically uncomfortable. "I figured I would eventually see you in court, Wright. Was there something you wanted?"

"Um, no, not really, just happy that you're back, that's all." Phoenix scratched the back of his head. Conversations with Edgeworth were always strained, and apparently being gone all this time did nothing to change that.

"Well then, I must go, I'm very busy at the moment. See you in court, Wright." With a slight nod, Edgeworth turned and walked away.

Phoenix sighed as he watched the back of his friend leave. If he didn't know any better, Edgeworth was being even more uptight and standoffish than usual. Suddenly an idea hit him. Why wait until court to see Edgeworth?

Unfortunately, the next time Phoenix saw Edgeworth was over a week later. Phoenix tried calling Edgeworth's office several times, but he never managed to reach him. Nor did Edgeworth return any one of the half-dozen messages Phoenix left on his cell phone. If he didn't know any better, he would say Edgeworth was purposely ignoring him. That didn't make any sense, because last he checked, they were on basically good terms. True, they didn't see each other much, but if one wanted to talk to the other, Phoenix was reasonably sure the other would respond in some way. Or so he thought. Thus, when Phoenix's call was sent to voice mail for the third time that day, he figured it was time to grab the bull by the horns and see Edgeworth in person, not in court, but at his office.

Phoenix was tempted to climb up all twelve flights of stairs up to Edgeworth's office, just to see what it was like. After the second flight, however, Phoenix gave up and rode the elevator the rest of the way. If he couldn't do it even once, how did Edgeworth manage to do it every day?

Phoenix knocked on office number 1202.

"Come in," came the voice behind the door.

Phoenix quietly slipped in, and saw Edgeworth writing in a case file. His jacket was off and laying on the couch.

"Gumshoe, if I have to tell you again that-" Edgeworth froze when he saw who entered his office. "What are you doing here, Wright?"

"I, uh, just came to see you, that's all. I tried calling you, but you never returned my messages."

"I'm sorry, but I've been rather busy since I returned." Edgeworth put his pen down and crossed his arms, a penetrating look on his face. "You seem awfully determined to see me, though. Why is that?"

Phoenix was starting to wonder exactly why he thought this would be a good idea. "You've been gone a long time, I wanted to know how things were going with you."

"I'm doing fine. Now if-"

Phoenix didn't let him finish. "Nope, you're not brushing me off again, Edgeworth." His sudden anger even surprised himself. It felt good, though, somehow. "You can't possibly be so busy that you can't have a simple conversation with me."

There was a heavy silence in the room, and for a second Phoenix thought that maybe he had gone too far. He knew Edgeworth was absolutely terrible about anything even remotely personal. Pulling teeth would be easier. So why did he keep on trying? Why was he so determined to keep this so-called relationship going?

Finally Edgeworth spoke. His head was lowered, looking off to the side. It was as if talking physically hurt him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Can you talk now?"

"I'm-" Edgeworth paused, his brow furrowed. Finally he looked at Phoenix and began again. "Yes, I can spare a few moments."

Phoenix knew this was a triumph. He also knew to tread lightly. "So, how long have you been back?"

"About two weeks."

So far so good. "How long are you staying here this time?"

This time Edgeworth looked remarkably uncomfortable. This surprised Phoenix, because it seemed like an easy enough question he could ask. "I do not plan on leaving again anytime soon. I have made up my mind to stay here permanently."

That was a surprise. As long as Phoenix had been a lawyer, Edgeworth was always traveling abroad for some reason or another, usually long term. It disappointed Phoenix more than he wanted to admit. "Wow, I thought you were going to dedicate your career to international law? I keep on seeing your name in the paper solving international crimes."

"First of all, that was never really my intention. International incidents merely have a habit of falling into my lap. Now that I won't be traveling, those shouldn't be taking up my time anymore."

"That's great, I'm glad you're staying here. Any reason why?"

Edgeworth flinched and grabbed his left arm. "No...not really."

Phoenix didn't even need the magatama to see Edgeworth was hiding something, but he knew pressing the issue would be a waste of time. Instead, he changed the subject completely. "We should go out sometime to celebrate your return. Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Um, not tonight, no. I, uh, I may be free on Sunday night. I'll call your office later to let you know. Until then, I really do need to get back to work."

That was a good enough conversation for now. "Promise you'll call?"

"Yes, I promise."

Phoenix said goodbye and slid out as quietly as he came in. That was a start, at least. An uncomfortable, almost painful start, but they did have a conversation, and with any luck, Edgeworth would spend an entire dinner with him. Things were looking up.

It was two days later when Phoenix finally got a phone call from Edgeworth. It didn't especially surprise him that it took so long, but that didn't make the waiting any easier. The phone call itself was short and to the point, leaving Phoenix almost no chance to slip in any kind of conversation. Oh well, there would be plenty of time for that at dinner.

A little before seven, Phoenix was standing in front of a nondescript Mexican restaurant that was surprisingly close to his office. Phoenix wasn't quite sure this was the right place, but as soon as he opened the door and looked around, he saw Edgeworth sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant reading a menu.

"I wasn't sure this was the right place," Phoenix said as he sat down.

Edgeworth looked up and gave him a quizzical look. "I gave you the right directions, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but, I guess I just assumed you would go for something fancier."

"One does not go to a fancy, trendy restaurant if one wants adequate Mexican food. Surely you know this, Wright."

Phoenix wondered if the restaurant's location had any part in why Edgeworth chose the place, but a waiter came over and handed him a menu before he could ask.

"Have you been here before?"

"Not really. Maya always wanted burgers, then when she's gone I just go there out of habit."

Edgeworth frowned. "I suggest expanding your culinary horizons before your taste buds completely die off."

Phoenix ignored that comment and looked through the menu. He did notice a hamburger was available, but figured Edgeworth would kill him if he ordered that. Although, the look on his face might be worth it. He weighed his options for a moment, before finally settling on some tacos. He could tease Edgeworth later.

The waiter arrived to take their order. Phoenix ordered his tacos and a beer to help loosen him up, and Edgeworth ordered a chimichanga while sticking with water. Naturally, Edgeworth ordered in perfect Spanish. Showoff.

"So, how are things at the prosecutor's office, other than busy?" Phoenix asked once the waiter had left.

"We are short on prosecutors, thus the heavier work load. The way things are going, it might stay like this for a while."

"That sounds like it sucks."

"I don't mind it."

Of course he didn't, Phoenix thought, he was a damn workaholic. He probably took on other prosecutor's cases as a hobby. Wait, better change the subject before he got too negative. "What did you do while you were away?"

"I spent most of my time in Europe prosecuting cases. I was asked to go to Japan and offer my advice as they overhaul their court system, but I declined. That would've taken up too much of my time."

"Wait, you were asked to help set up an entirely new legal system? And you declined?" Phoenix wondered just how big a name Edgeworth was.

"I declined because such system overhauls take years to implement, and I didn't want stay there that long. Besides, I'm more interested in practicing law than devising it."

"Oh." Meanwhile, he was lucky if he got more than one case a month. Phoenix swallowed and tried something else. "So, how's Gumshoe doing? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He's being his usual self."

"Any recent pay cuts?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Huh." That topic dried up fast. Thankfully the waiter came with their orders, so Phoenix didn't have to strain himself thinking up anything else to say. They could just eat and talk about the food and that would be good enough for a while anyway.

Phoenix milked the topic of their food for as long as he could, but found out that still wasn't very long before finally giving up.

After a few minutes of eating in silence, it was Edgeworth who asked the next question. "I haven't seen your two assistants around, are they, uh, training?"

Phoenix was almost giddy at the chance to talk. "Oh, yeah, ever since Maya was officially named leader of the Fey clan, she's been really busy in Kurain Village. She hardly gets a chance to come down to visit me. Pearls is with her, too. It's a lot quieter in the office with them gone. I can't afford another assistant, so it's just me there."

"I see."

Edgeworth didn't seem interested in the details, so Phoenix wasn't sure if he should continue with the current topic or start a new one. The silence wasn't entirely uncomfortable, maybe, so he just let it go and ate his tacos. Might as well get used to it.

About a minute later Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Have you heard from Larry recently?"

Phoenix nearly choked on his taco. This was the second question now. "Yeah, actually. He got dumped again last week and called to whine at me about it. I was just happy he didn't get himself caught up in another murder in the process."

"That is a relief."

Silence hung over the table again, and Phoenix mentally sighed. Just how bad could Edgeworth be at having a conversation?

When the check finally, almost mercifully, came, Edgeworth immediately reached for it. "I'll get this."

"Oh, thanks."

"You are getting enough cases, aren't you?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure." Just barely enough to pay the bills, though. Wait, since when did Edgeworth care about his financial situation? Also, Phoenix noticed the especially generous tip left at the table when they got up to leave.

"We should do this again sometime," Phoenix said once they were outside.

"Perhaps." Edgeworth was wonderfully noncommittal. "Well, it was good seeing you, Wright. Goodnight." He then walked to his expensive red sports car, got in, and drove away.

Phoenix decided against going back to the office and instead rode his bike home. The evening had been painful at times, yes, but it was also great to see Edgeworth again. If only things weren't so difficult. It had to get easier between them, right?

A few days later Phoenix tried calling Edgeworth again. This time he got voice mail, but left a message anyway. It was only a few hours later that he got a call back. He set up another meeting.

Their next meeting didn't go a whole lot better. Over a week later they met for lunch at a place close to the courthouse. Phoenix quickly ran out of questions to ask Edgeworth about his time away, and he had no idea what else to ask about it. He didn't want to pry too much, but it was getting more and more tempting. Eventually Phoenix just rambled on about his latest case, not really caring if Edgeworth was bored with it or not. It was frustrating, but Phoenix had no idea how to make it better.

#

Kurain Village always seemed farther away than it actually was. Not that it wasn't far away, it took two hours to get there by train, but the atmosphere and silence made it feel like a million miles away from Los Angeles. Thus, one Saturday he called up Maya and asked if he could come visit the next day. He didn't have any real reason why, it just seemed like the thing he needed to do.

Maya was waiting for him at the bus stop. "Hey Nick! It's been a while!" The two hugged each other, and Maya continued. "So, what brings you all the way up here?"

Phoenix shrugged. "Nothing really, just wanted to say hi. What have you been up to?"

Maya gave him a 'duh' look. "Managing a village, what else do you think I've been doing?"

"That sounds like a lot of work."

"It is. There's overseeing everyone's training, there's keeping up with my own training, and of course there's the spirit channeling."

"Everything going okay?"

"Yeah, actually. Things are going great. Come on, I'll serve you some tea."

Actual Japanese tea, huh? Phoenix wondered as they walked to the Fey Manor. Maya was maturing so much during the past year, he could hardly believe it. The first time he visited after the whole Misty Fey ordeal, Maya offered him a Steel Samurai Soda.

"So, any new cases?" Maya asked as she settled herself at the short table in the middle of the Japanese-style room. Maya was sitting with her legs tucked underneath her, a position Phoenix deemed impossible. He was perfectly satisfied with sitting cross-legged across from her.

"Not right now." He sipped the hot tea, and immediately realized he hated it. He kept on sipping, though, in order not to offend Maya. He put down the cup before continuing. "Edgeworth is back in town, however."

Maya almost spit out her own tea. "Really!? Wow, how long has it been?"

"About a year. I've seen him a few times. He's busy, but he seems to be doing okay." Suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks. He came here to ask Maya about Edgeworth. The thought shook him somehow, especially since he had no idea why he would ask her about Edgeworth, or even what he should ask. Might as well go with it, though, since his subconscious thought it would be a great idea.

"How do you get someone to open up?" he finally asked.

"Like what, a new client?"

"No, like..." Phoenix didn't know quite how to put it. "Like a friend."

Maya gave him a suspicious look. "Nick, do you have a girlfriend?"

"What?! No! It's just..." Might as well come clean. "It's Edgeworth. Every time we see each other trying to have a conversation is like pulling teeth."

"Yeah, Mr. Edgeworth isn't much of a talker. Hmmm." Maya pondered for a second before speaking again. "Well, what did you talk about before?"

"Usually there was a case between us, so we just talked about that. Even then, as soon as things got a little bit personal he would hide away his feelings and push me away." He remembered the time there was an earthquake while they were on Eagle Mountain. All he wanted to do was give Edgeworth a hug, but Edgeworth was as prickly as a cactus. Then there was that incident 4 years ago, when Edgeworth had to prosecute the then-Chief Prosecutor. That was an all-out disaster.

"Is he pushing you away now?"

Phoenix opened his mouth to say yes, but then stopped himself. True, Edgeworth did ignore him completely at first, but that was only at first. Since then, however, he was much easier to get into contact with. Hell, he even agreed to go out to eat together, twice. However, actually being together was at times painfully awkward. "It seems like he's getting better at that." Phoenix finally answered. "It's so hard to tell, though."

"Maybe you can talk about what he likes. That's usually a good way to get things going."

Phoenix snorted. "All he likes is work."

"There's gotta be something he likes." Maya took a sip of tea, then quickly put down her cup. "I know, doesn't he drink tea all the time?"

"Yeah, but I don't know anything about tea." Nor did he really want to know much about tea, for that matter.

Maya giggled. "Spend some more time with the Fey Clan, we'll teach you all there is to know about tea. One of my cousins here treats tea like a religion."

"Um, I'll take a rain check." He took another tiny sip of tea and began to think. The notion of getting Edgeworth to talk wasn't getting anywhere. When that happened in court, it was time to think about things in a completely new way. So if Edgeworth wasn't talking, the other person would have to do most of the talking. Wait, that was it.

"I guess I have to be the one to do the talking." Phoenix finally said. "I can't really expect him open up unless I start doing it too."

"Oh, yeah, that might work! Good job, Nick!"

Phoenix realized that whenever he and Edgeworth had a conversation, their conversations ended up not really being about anything. That was mostly because he had no idea what to say around him, and that was because Edgeworth hated talking about personal matters. That never meant that Phoenix couldn't bring up his own personal matters.

"So, when are you going to meet him again?"

"Uh, I'll try calling him tomorrow. He really is busy most of the time. Apparently the prosecutor's office is understaffed."

"You'll call me and tell me how it goes?"

"Sure thing. You've been a big help, after all."

"Great! You can pay me back by bringing burgers next time you come up. I haven't had a good burger in forever."

He was about to protest, but figured it was a reasonable enough demand. As Maya began talking abut her latest training regime, Phoenix found himself amazingly eager to get in touch with Edgeworth. Maybe their relationship would finally start moving along. It had been stuck in neutral for way too long.

Phoenix managed to wait until the next day to call Edgeworth. He got home from Kurain Village late, and figured Edgeworth would be more responsive in the morning. He called his cell, and was mildly surprised when Edgeworth picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me, Phoenix. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up again anytime soon."

There was a pause on the other end. "All right, do you have anything in mind?"

"You could just come over to my place whenever you're free. Although I should warn you, I don't have cable."

There was another pause. "How about if I come by your office tomorrow after I'm done here."

"Yeah, that's fine. My apartment might scare you off anyway." Was that getting too personal?

"Then I'll see you tomorrow around...I'll try to be there around six. I'll call if I'm late. Goodbye."

"Bye." Phoenix hung up the phone and wondered what to do until tomorrow. He looked around, and decided the office needed a top to bottom cleaning if he was going to have Edgeworth come by. He'd get started with the coffee stains in the rug.

At six the next evening, Phoenix was ready for Edgeworth. Actually, he was ready hours ago, but whatever. At six-ten, Phoenix was getting anxious that Edgeworth was going to call and say he couldn't make it. Finally at six-fifteen, there was a knock on the door.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to work longer than I thought."

"Oh, no problem." Phoenix gestured to the couch in the front room where Edgeworth sat down. He was going to sit down next to him, but figured that might be a little close. So he took the desk chair and wheeled it next to the desk so they could face each other.

"Why did you want to see me?"

"I don't think I ever told you how happy I am that you're back, and that you're staying."

"As I recall, you mentioned that the first time we talked." Edgeworth was frowning, looking guarded.

"Yeah, I mentioned it, but I didn't really tell you how much that means to me. Every time you came back I hoped that you would stay, but then you would always leave right away again. We never got the chance to really talk to each other. I'm just...really glad that I can see you more than once a year, or however long it is."

Edgeworth looked away and grabbed his arm. "I see," he finally mumbled.

Phoenix frowned. This conversation wasn't supposed to make Edgeworth look like he was in unspeakable amounts of pain. Last time he let it go, but he wasn't willing to do that anymore. If they were going to make progress in this sad attempt at a relationship, they had to be honest. Phoenix had done his share, now it was time for Edgeworth to open up.

He tried to make his voice gentle but firm. "I know you're hiding something. Just please, tell me what it is. I promise I won't laugh or do whatever it is you think I'll do."

There was silence for moment. "I'm..." Edgeworth finally started, but then stopped and tried again. "The reason I came back was so that I could see you more."

He could hardly believe it. "Why didn't you tell me? And why did you avoid me so much at first?"

"I didn't know if you wanted to see me."

Phoenix opened his mouth, but was speechless. Wow, things were that bad between them. He had no idea.

"Also," Edgeworth continued, "I have no idea what to do when I'm around you, Wright. Being around you brings up things I don't want to deal with."

"What kind of things?" Phoenix asked softly. It hurt him to see Edgeworth like this.

"Memories, and feelings." He shifted in the couch and continued. "I was content to just see you occasionally in court. That way I could still see you and not be burdened with all those emotions."

Phoenix was silent. All he wanted to do was give Edgeworth a hug, but figured it wouldn't be appreciated. Maybe later. Instead he started talking. "I don't know what to do around you either. I know how much you hate to get personal, so I try to not talk about that stuff. But I do want to be around you, Edgeworth, and I hate it that it's so awkward between us."

Edgeworth let out deep breath and seemed to relax a little. "I am actually trying, Wright. As you are determined to be around me, I have grown slightly accustomed to it and have tried to be more sociable with you."

Wait, this was him being sociable? Then what was him being unsociable- oh, yeah, not even being around. "So you really do want to have some kind of friendship with me?"

"That is what I'm saying, yes."

Phoenix smiled. That was possibly the most difficult conversation he'd ever have, but now they were finally on the same page. "Well, then, let's start practicing."

"Practice what?"

"Having a conversation. The more you do it the easier it is." He continued before Edgeworth could object. "How was your day?"

"Busy."

He was ready for that. "Okay, that doesn't really tell me much. When I ask you how your day was, I actually want to know about your day. One word answers doesn't really cut it."

"Wright, this is-"

Phoenix cut him off. "Let's try again. How was your day?"

Edgeworth sighed but answered. "It was busy. I had court in the morning, and after that I was busy with paperwork until I left at six."

"Much better. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You're being awfully patronizing, Wright."

"You're awfully terrible at conversations, Edgeworth. If we want to have a friendship, we have to work at it. This is working at it. Now, ask me a question."

"Fine. How was your day?"

"Oh, not too bad. I knew you were coming over so I did some cleaning around here. Okay, a lot of cleaning. The office hasn't looked this good since Mia was running the place."

"I appreciate the effort."

"Thanks." There was silence after that, which Phoenix expected. "Okay, see how that topic ended and there was silence?" He finally asked. "That's the cue to bring up something else. Either ask me another question, or make a comment, or anything."

"Why do I have to?"

"Because you're the one who needs the practice."

"This is ridiculous."

Phoenix figured this was as far as he could push Edgeworth. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you what. Let's go get something to eat, and see how that goes."

"I would rather just go home. I'm tired and this has been an exhausting evening already."

"Yeah, I suppose it has." They had done enough tonight, no need to push things. "Okay, but only if you call me tomorrow for our next dinner date."

Edgeworth raised his eyebrows as he got up. "Date?"

"You know what I mean."

"Very well. Goodnight, Wright."

"Goodnight Edgeworth."

With a click of the door, Phoenix was alone in his office. Edgeworth was right. It really had been an exhausting evening.

Around noon the next day, Phoenix got a call from Edgeworth. That was relatively quick. He wasn't entirely sure Edgeworth would even call that day, much less this early. He really must be trying, Phoenix thought.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Sure."

"Then I'll pick you up from your office at seven, if that's all right with you."

"Okay, but where are we going?"

"You indicated last time we had dinner that you were interested in something fancier, so I made reservations to a French restaurant."

Wait, what? Phoenix wracked his brain trying to remember when he said that. Wait, he said he expected Edgeworth to go for something fancy. Oh crap. "Um, yeah, that's great!" he finally spit out. He inwardly prayed that it wouldn't be too expensive.

"I'll see you then. Goodbye."

"Bye." After Phoenix hung up the phone, it hit him. "Wait, he's making a reservation based off of something he thinks I wanted." That surprised him. Maybe Edgeworth was trying harder than Phoenix was giving him credit for.

Edgeworth picked him up promptly at seven. His car was just as red and obnoxiously expensive as the last car Phoenix saw Edgeworth drive, although this one looked a little smaller. The interior was even more extravagant, with leather everywhere and the dashboard looking like a hi-tech touchscreen. Phoenix had to admit it was a very smooth and comfortable ride, although he figured it couldn't possibly be worth however much Edgeworth paid for it. The restaurant was some ways away, which gave Phoenix plenty of time to practice having a conversation.

"Nice car."

"Thank you."

"What kind is it?"

"It's an Italian import."

"Oh, I don't really know anything about cars."

There was a pause before Edgeworth spoke again. "May I ask why you don't drive?" he asked with a sidelong glance.

"Um, well, I just never got around to it." Phoenix scratched the back of his head and kinda hoped Edgeworth didn't ask for details. The whole driving issue was still a bit of a sore spot for him.

"That's not something that you just don't get around to doing, not here anyway."

He sighed. "I went on a joyride with my dad's car when I was 15 and totaled it in the process. Hated cars ever since." More than anything, it was the fact that Phoenix had yet to get over said joyride crash that bothered him the most.

Edgeworth raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Phoenix. "I didn't see you as the joyriding type."

"Well, Larry was involved, so..."

"That would explain everything."

"Yep, the Butz strikes again."

They drove the rest of the way in silence, and Phoenix didn't mind that at all.

The restaurant Edgeworth picked out seemed fancy enough, with valet parking as they drove up. The were immediately seated at what appeared to be a good table, somewhat secluded in a corner away from the main walkways. Phoenix was in awe of the decor, very elegant and looking very, very out of his price range.

"Don't worry, I'll cover the bill." Edgeworth said while opening his menu.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Phoenix could feel his cheeks redden, and quickly opened his own menu to hide his face. The menu was in both French and English, much to his relief. Although as soon as he started going over it, he realized he still didn't know what half the dishes were. Wait, make that all the dishes.

"If you're not feeling very adventurous, I'd suggest going with the steak frites." Edgeworth offered while peering over his menu. "It's simply steak and fries."

"Yeah, maybe."

A waiter came and asked them if they wanted to order something to drink. Phoenix was just going to ask for water, but then Edgeworth ordered a bottle of one of the more expensive wines on the wine list. The waiter nodded and left, leaving Phoenix slightly flabbergasted.

"You don't have much experience with wine, do you?"

"Um, not really."

"I thought as much, so I picked out a white wine, that should be light enough for you."

"Uh, what's the difference?"

"Generally speaking, the darker color the wine, the heavier the flavor is." Phoenix was still confused so Edgeworth continued. "It's kind of like the difference between grape juice and apple juice."

That he understood, although he preferred grape juice to apple juice. Soon the waiter arrived with their wine, even pouring their first glass. After setting the bottle on the table, he took their orders. Phoenix ended up just going for steak and fries, while Edgeworth ordered something unpronounceable and then something else unpronounceable. Apparently Edgeworth was also fluent in French. How many languages did he know, anyway?

Once the waiter left, Phoenix decided to see how much their practice conversation helped. "So, how was your day?"

Edgeworth gave him a frown before answering. "I spent most of the day investigating a murder. We've already apprehended a suspect, and my personal opinion is that you don't take their case."

"That bad?"

"Probably worse, once I finish investigating tomorrow."

"Well, I trust you have the right person."

"So how was your day?"

"Uh, uneventful."

"Wright," Edgeworth said in a surprisingly menacing tone.

"Okay, fine. Yesterday I met with a potential client, but he even admitted to being guilty, so I declined."

Edgeworth took a sip of wine before speaking again. "If I may ask, how do you manage to pay the rent every month when you take so few clients?"

"Oh, I manage to get by. Although sometimes my food budget gets really low. Like, instant ramen all month low. Once I finish paying off my student loans later this year things should get better." He might even be able to afford cable again. That would be nice.

Edgeworth looked horrified. "You can borrow money from me if you need to, Wright."

"No, really, I'm good. Besides, isn't that what Detective Gumshoe eats all the time?"

"Detective Gumshoe actually gets paid more than you realize. He just has trouble budgeting his money. I know for a fact he buys a considerable amount of electronics parts for his hobbies."

"Wait, are we talking about the same Gumshoe? I didn't know he knew anything about that kind of stuff."

"Turns out he's actually quite good at building various gadgets. None of them are very useful, however."

"Wow, I would've never guessed." Although, come to think about it, Gumshoe did manage to rig a broken bridge, oh, and that bug sweeper. Maybe Gumshoe should've been an engineer instead of a detective.

Phoenix was about to ask where Edgeworth got his money, but then realized it was probably von Karma money, and that might make things uncomfortable. However, that reminded him of a von Karma he could ask about. "So, how is Franziska doing?"

"She's still prosecuting in Germany. Occasionally she does work with Interpol, but nothing recently. I hear she is still in touch with Adrian Andrews. Have you seen her recently?"

"Not for over a year, maybe even two."

"I see. In any case, Franziska is still the perfectionist as always." Edgeworth frowned. "I may have to pay her a visit eventually."

Phoenix decided to press the issue. "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Edgeworth swirled his wineglass around before finally taking a sip. "I don't want her making the same mistakes as her father."

"Hey, if you need any help, I'm-"

He cut him off. "You do realize she still hates you."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "I guess I kinda thought she would get over that by now."

"Hell hath no fury like a von Karma beaten in court."

Phoenix took a sip of wine and decided to change the subject. "This wine isn't bad."

"Yes, it's a fairly light pinot gris, so it pairs well with multiple foods. I like to think of it as a good beginner's wine."

That probably meant something to someone, but not Phoenix. He just nodded and took another sip. It was almost fruity. Thankfully the waiter came with their food, so Phoenix didn't have to worry about coming up with an intelligent response. He was about to dig in when he noticed how small the...wait, that wasn't even a steak.

"Um, Edgeworth, what is this?"

"I ordered California's version of foie gras as an appetizer for us. It's not as good as the traditional version, but still satisfactory."

Phoenix decided against asking what exactly that was, and took a small bite. It was surprisingly good, if a little on the rich side. No wonder it was a small dish. He quickly finished it off, only to notice that Edgeworth wasn't even half done.

"You-" Edgeworth stopped and started again. "How was it?"

"I liked it, even though I don't actually know what it is that I ate."

"Shall I tell you?"

Phoenix pondered this for a second. Chances were it was something crazy like bull testicles, and if that were the case, ignorance was bliss. "Nah."

Edgeworth shrugged. "Very well, but it is nothing outlandish."

Outlandish was probably relative, considering the French ate snails and called it a delicacy. Phoenix drank his wine and watched Edgeworth eat. He looked amazingly relaxed, almost happy. Phoenix wasn't sure if it was the food or the restaurant or what, but he liked seeing him almost-happy. Now if only he could get him to smile, that would be even better.

The waiter soon came and took away their empty plates, and a minute later their main course arrived. The steak looked absolutely delicious, and the fries would be at home at any fast food joint. Phoenix looked over to what Edgeworth ordered, and couldn't really identify what it was. Something with meat and possibly noodles. "What did you order?"

"Coq au vin, it's a classic French stew featuring chicken and red wine. Quite excellent."

Phoenix merely nodded and took a bite of his steak. He quickly decided it was the best steak he had in his life. French food was awesome.

The rest of the night went amazingly well, or so Phoenix thought. True, he did end up drinking more than his share of wine, a lot more, but Edgeworth didn't seem to mind too much.

"I thought you didn't have any experience with wine?" he asked when Phoenix poured the last of the bottle into his glass.

"Oh, I don't, I just like the taste." It was better than the cheap beer he occasionally drank at home.

"You do realize you'll be intoxicated by the time we get back, if not sooner?"

"Yeah, probably." Truth be told, he was already starting to feel the effects. Which meant he was starting to not care if Edgeworth saw him a little drunk. Maybe he should try getting Edgeworth drunk once.

During the ride back to his office, Phoenix tried his hardest not to sound too drunk, although he had no idea how much he succeeded. At one point he felt himself rambling a bit too long about a recent case, and stole a glance at Edgeworth. He looked almost...amused. Phoenix stumbled over his words in surprise, and he could've sworn he saw Edgeworth crack the tiniest of smiles.

If this was what it took to get Edgeworth to smile, Phoenix considered getting drunk and acting like an idiot every single time they met.

The next day Phoenix called Maya to give her the progress report he promised. He told her of the amazing French restaurant they went to, but he kept quiet about the rather intense conversation he and Edgeworth had in the office. Somehow that seemed too personal. Maya was strangely supportive of the whole thing, but that was probably just Maya being Maya. After all, she was friends with Edgeworth too. Well, maybe not friends, but she did care about him. Perhaps the three of them should get together sometime.

About a week after their last meeting, Phoenix was sitting in his office, amazingly bored. He had called Edgeworth two days ago, and he figured calling again would be pushing it. That conversation had gone well, however, even though it was a little short. They hadn't made any plans to meet again, but that was okay, there was plenty of time for that. Thus, Phoenix was left with nothing really to do that day. Suddenly the phone rang, startling Phoenix from his one-hundred-something game of solitaire.

"Hello? This is Wright and Co. Law Offices."

"Wright, I wanted to let you know that I'll be going back to Germany tomorrow." It was Edgeworth, and he sounded serious.

"Wait, I thought you weren't going away anymore." Phoenix could feel his heart drop. He wasn't running away again, was he?

"I won't be gone long, this is..." There was a pause on the line. "This is like a family emergency. Manfred von Karma was finally executed, and I need to take the body back to Germany. Franziska wanted to bury him there, in the family plot."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Phoenix was at a loss to say anything else.

"Don't be. It's obvious now that the man never cared about me. I'll be gone a few weeks, depending on how things go."

"Can I meet you at the airport?"

"No, that's fine. I'll be too busy once I reach the airport anyway. I'll call when I get back. Goodbye, Wright."

"Goodbye." Phoenix stayed on the line until he heard Edgeworth hang up. After hearing the phone click, Phoenix slowly put the phone down. Edgeworth sounded completely devoid of any actual sadness when he mentioned the death of his former mentor. It was if transporting a dead body was just an errand that needed to be completed. Phoenix really couldn't fault him for feeling that way, however. Manfred von Karma made Edgeworth's life a living hell for so long, even Phoenix was relieved at his death.

He missed Edgeworth already. Things were going great between them, considering the circumstances. Now what was going to happen between them? He hoped things would simply resume where they left off. However, every time Edgeworth left, he would always come back a little more distant than before. Phoenix would then have to work at getting their friendship back to where it was before, but it usually happened. Except then Edgeworth had to suddenly go to Europe or wherever, and when he came back it was square one all over again. At least this time he said he wouldn't be gone long, and that never happened before. It gave Phoenix some measure of hope that the cycle was finally breaking, and their friendship was finally starting to solidify.


	2. Chapter 2

The funeral went about as well as Miles could expect. It was as small an affair as Franziska could manage, just the two of them and a priest. She didn't even bother to send out any kind of word to former staff or associates. That was fine with him. In all honesty, he'd just as well let Manfred von Karma get buried at the potter's field in LA. However, Franziska wanted him to be buried at the old von Karma plot in Germany, so here he was. It was cold and damp, but surprisingly sunny, and Miles couldn't quite decide what aspect of the weather his mood was most like.

"You didn't have to be here, you know," Franziska said icily. The priest had just left, leaving them alone with the coffin perched atop the open grave.

"What do you mean?" Miles asked.

"He was never your father. He never even pretended to be your father."

"I know that, but someone needed to be there to transfer the body." Miles did not want another rehash of that old argument, not here, not now. He knew that they were both too raw for that, and they would both say things they would later regret.

Franziska merely gave a humph and walked back to their car.

The drive back to the family manor was silent. The rest of the day was silent. Miles was fine with that, he knew if Franziska wanted to do something other than argue she would let him know. Pushing her would be disastrous.

After the funeral Miles realized there wasn't much else to be done in Germany. The inheritance wouldn't be officially settled until several weeks later, but even then it was assumed that Franziska would get everything. He had no desire to revisit any of his old childhood haunts, nor was he interested in prosecuting cases here. That left him with the possibility of going home much sooner than he realized. What surprised him most, however, was the fact he liked the idea of returning to LA as soon as possible.

Just as soon as he could talk some sense into Franziska. He didn't know how long that would take, and he wasn't thrilled with the idea of waiting around for who knew how long for her to cool down, but he had to try.

It had been a few days since the funereal, and it was still tense between him and Franziska. They were speaking to each other, but not more than necessary. Miles knew Franziska would be upset about the death of her father, and he knew she almost always expressed those feelings with anger. The only real question was how long could she stay angry, and how angry could she get.

That evening, as Miles was reading in the library, Franziska joined him to work on her caseload. She was slowly returning to work, albeit very slowly, and Miles wasn't really sure if that was a good idea or not. It was right before he retired for the night that Miles made what he thought was an innocent announcement. "Just to let you know, I will be returning to Los Angeles eventually. I haven't decided on when, though."

Franziska looked up from her work and narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you so eager to get back to America, anyway?"

Miles merely shrugged. "That's where my life is."

"Tell me, what is so special about your life there? Why do you keep going back to the place where you have failed so much?"

"Finding the truth is not a failure."

"That is something only a failure would say. A pathetic excuse to justify themselves."

Miles paused to pick his words carefully. "You know, Franziska, I spent the first part of my career trying to be perfect. When I failed I thought my life was over with. I know you felt the same way. So I stopped trying to be perfect. Why do you continue to try to be perfect when you know first hand how miserable it makes you feel?"

Franziska rose from her desk. "You are not a von Karma." Her voice was ice cold. "Look around you, Miles Edgeworth." She made a sweeping gesture to indicate the massive library around them. "This mansion, no, this castle was built on the legacy of von Karma perfection. Generations upon generations of perfection. It is one of the greatest legacies in Germany. You cannot possibly feel the weight of that upon your shoulders. You have no hope of understanding what it truly means to be perfect."

Miles was not impressed. "I don't know who Manfred hurt more. Me by killing my father, or you, by brainwashing you into thinking perfection is the only thing that matters. You know as well as I do that he trumped up that so-called legacy of perfection. Look at the record books, von Karma was nothing but a middling name of no importance until Manfred got his hands on it. Then suddenly it was the greatest name in Germany."

Franziska slammed the desk in front of her. "How dare you! How dare you insult the von Karma name!"

"I'm only telling you the truth." Miles kept his voice calm.

"You and your truth! I think you're the one who's been brainwashed." Franziska narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to him. "Yes, that's it, isn't it. That fool defense attorney that you lost to. He managed to get into your head, and now you're talking just like him. Hell, you're probably in love with him. That's why you're so obsessed about this truth of yours."

Miles felt his heart ache a little. Franziska was still too blinded by her father's legacy to listen to reason. It would take much more than he realized to show her how wrong she was. He would do it, however, no matter how long it took.

"I see you have no answer." She leaned back, crossed her arms, and grinned. "So it is true, you really are under the influence of that foolish fool."

"If you must know, yes. That foolish fool, as you call him, helped me see the error in trying to seek perfection. Now it is my turn to help you see that same error."

"I don't need your help, Miles Edgeworth." She turned and stormed out of the room.

Miles sighed as he rubbed his forehead. That managed to be worse than he expected. Getting her to listen to him would be almost impossible.

A few days later Miles was in the library, studying Japanese. He was bored enough to take up the language so that if he ever did study their judicial system, he would be prepared. After hours of studying, Miles slammed the Japanese kanji book shut in frustration. This language was proving to be by far the hardest language he'd studied. Why did they need three writing systems, anyway? He tossed the book onto the large old desk he was sitting at, next to the other Japanese language books he had gone through. Leaning back in his chair, Miles let out a sigh. He was bored. There really wasn't anything else to do at the von Karma mansion besides study. He knew that from experience. There were still a few walking trails around the property that hadn't quite grown over, but he traveled those already, some of them many times.

Franziska had not spoken to him since their argument four days ago. Not a single word. At first it was a relief; if they weren't talking to each other they weren't fighting with each other. Then he began to get annoyed. How long could she continue this childish behavior? Now he was starting to worry. This was the angriest he'd ever seen Franziska. Not even after her first losses in America was she this upset.

Usually they were at least civil to each other. Even when they were children competing with each other they were never angry at each other for very long. Annoyed, yes, but never really angry. Because at the end of the day, after Manfred tore into you for bad penmanship, there was only one person in the world who knew just how much that hurt. Miles was usually the one comforting Franziska, only because he was older. However, there were a few times Manfred was especially vicious to him, and Franziska would sneak into his room, telling him little brothers aren't supposed to cry. She acted like she was scolding him, but it was her way of telling him to stay strong. That small amount of support was probably the only thing that kept Miles sane for all those years.

The words of Franziska echoed in his head. 'You're probably in love with him.' Franziska was merely flinging whatever insults she could think of, but for some reason that part stuck with him.

It was true, though. The reason Miles came back to Los Angeles was Phoenix Wright.

When he returned to Los Angeles he was perfectly fine with barely seeing Wright. Being in the same city was close enough for him. If one needed the other in an emergency, they were only a few miles away, instead of the other side of the world. That was all he wanted. Well, that was all he could handle, anyway.

However, Wright ran into him sooner than he thought he would. He was planning on telling Wright he was back eventually, after he had time to settle in and adjust to life back in LA. Which was another way of saying he had to mentally prepare himself before he could deal with being around Wright. Unfortunately, Wright would have none of that, and was very persistent in trying to contact him.

Even worse, Wright wasn't content just to say hello every once in a while. Wright was determined to start up their friendship all over again, regardless of Miles' reluctance. Surprisingly, it wasn't quite as bad as he thought it would be. True, at times the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife, but that was only at first. The more Miles was around Wright, the easier it became for both of them. Also, Wright's enthusiasm for the whole thing was oddly infectious. Miles hated to admit it, but seeing Wright so happy almost made him feel...well, not necessarily happy, but something close to it.

Then came Manfred's execution, and everything ground to a halt. Wright was sure to pick things up again as soon as he got back, and Miles found himself looking forward to it. Looking forward to seeing Wright. The notion felt so foreign to him, but he couldn't deny it. Besides, it wasn't a bad thing to want to see a friend.

That last thought made Miles sigh. Yes, he was his friend, just as Wright wanted. Was there anything that lawyer couldn't do when he set his mind to it?

It had only been a little over a week since Edgeworth left, but to Phoenix it felt like forever. He even went looking for cases to occupy his mind, but it didn't make the time pass any quicker. Without anything else to do, he called Maya and told her that he would be coming up for a visit. He remembered to bring burgers.

"So, what's up?" Maya asked in between bites of burger.

Phoenix was slowly eating his own burger. "Edgeworth went back to Germany for personal reasons. Manfred von Karma finally died, so he and Franziska had to take care of a bunch of stuff. He said he wouldn't be gone long, though."

"I thought he died a while ago," Maya said while still chewing.

Phoenix shrugged. "I did too, but I guess not. Anyway, I just really miss Edgeworth, that's all. He was really starting to open up, too."

"Huh, that's funny, you never missed him this much before."

"We were never really able to see each other outside work. You remember, as soon as whatever crisis brought him here was solved, he would leave the country almost as soon as he could. It was like he was purposely doing everything he could to avoid me."

"Yeah, that is true."

"Now that he's staying here, we've finally been able to restart our friendship. I think we both actually had fun the last time we saw each other. It was kind of a miracle, really. I was looking forward to seeing him again, but now that won't be for a while."

Maya was giving Phoenix a funny, suspicious look. Like she was about to start trouble and knew it. "Tell me the truth, how much do you like Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Huh? You know how much he means to me. I wouldn't be where I am now without him."

"You know, Nick, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love with him."

That took him completely by surprise. "What?! I'm not in love with him, I just..." Okay, maybe he did love him, but he wasn't in love with him, that was stupid. "I just really care about him."

"Uh huh. Ever since you told me he was back, that's all you talk about. Now that he's gone, you're moping about how much you miss him. Those are classic symptoms, Nick."

"That's not true!" He wasn't moping, for one thing.

"You know," Maya continued, mostly to herself, "now that I think about it, you were probably in love with him the entire time. That would explain a lot."

"What are you talking about?!"

"First there were the letters for years, then you decided to be a lawyer just to meet him, then there was the way you acted after you thought he died-"

"Okay, that's enough!" He said, cutting her off.

"Well then, is it true? Are you in love with Mr. Edgeworth?"

Phoenix stared at Maya as he wondered how he got into this mess. All he wanted to do was to get his mind off of Edgeworth for a while because of how much he missed him...wait, maybe he was moping. Phoenix shook his head to get rid of the thought. "Fine, I admit that I love him as a friend."

"So you admit that you love him. That's a good start. Hmmm, I know. Do you want to kiss him?"

"We are not having this discussion!" How did this situation manage to get even worse?

"Why not?" Maya looked unnervingly disappointed.

There were a million reasons why, but Phoenix decided to go a different route. "Why are you so interested in my relationship with Edgeworth anyway?"

"Because if you're in love with him, you should probably tell him. That's usually how these things go. Well, in the books I've read, anyway."

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "I'm not in love with him, okay."

Maya shrugged. "If you say so."

"You're starting to sound like Pearls, you know."

"Okay, fine, I won't say anything about Mr. Edgeworth again, but only if you never bring him up. Deal?"

"Deal." That shouldn't be too hard, it's not like that was the only thing they talked about recently. "So, uh, how are things here?"

"The usual. Have any good cases lately?"

"Well, I did successfully defend someone from a bicycle theft charge."

Maya gave him a weird look. "Is that even a felony?"

"Um, no, it was actually in civil court."

Maya looked even weirder. "Are you that desperate for cases?"

Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "Well, kinda, I just want to keep busy so I don't miss Edgeworth so-DAMMIT!" How did the conversation suddenly become all about Edgeworth again? Especially since he just swore off talking about him?

Maya broke into laughter. "Sorry, Nick. That's some pretty conclusive evidence there."

He buried his face in his hands and decided it was no use talking to Maya. Why was she so gung-ho about this, anyway? Sure, there was some teasing when they met Iris, but that died down rather quickly. What was going on here? Maybe he could try talking to someone else.

The next day Phoenix went to the criminal affairs department to talk to Gumshoe. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to ask, but it seemed like a reasonable idea to talk to Edgeworth's co-workers to find out more about him, and more specifically, his state of mind. As he walked into the station, people were milling about without much urgency, which probably meant no major incidents lately. He found Gumshoe at his desk, looking suspiciously like he was avoiding work.

Gumshoe looked up as Phoenix approached his desk. "How you doin' pal? I hope you aren't here to hit me up for some information on a case."

Phoenix shook his head. "Nope, I just wanted to say hi."

His face relaxed in relief. "Oh good. So what's up?"

Before asking about Edgeworth, there was a question Phoenix had to ask. "Are you any good with gadgets?"

Gumshoe lit up like a 100 watt light bulb. "Oh sure, pal! Here, let me show you my latest invention!" He pulled something out of his desk drawer. It looked like...actually, Phoenix had no idea what it looked like. Maybe a countertop can opener with an extra arm?

"This here is my new coffee stir-er." Gumshoe continued, smiling. "See, every time I stir some sugar into my coffee, I end up spilling some on my hand. With this, I won't have to worry about that anymore." He put the boxy invention next to his coffee cup with the arm hovered over his coffee. Next he put a stirring stick through the arm and into his coffee, and then he turned it on. The arm started making quick circles above the coffee cup, and sure enough, the stick started mixing the coffee.

Phoenix was both amazed and dumbfounded at the same time. The thing itself was clever and seemed well-made, but at the same time, who needed a special machine just to stir a cup of coffee? It really was exactly like Edgeworth said. Gumshoe was very good at making very useless gadgets.

"That's, um, awesome." Phoenix finally said.

Gumshoe turned it off and removed the stick. "Yeah, the guys here liked it. Although, Prosecutor Edgeworth doesn't seem to like them. He says I need to focus more on my work."

What a wonderful opening. "Um, about Edgeworth. How has he been doing since his return?"

"Well, at first he was his usual grumpy self, maybe even more grumpy. But then something seemed to happen, and he really started to lighten up. Well, as much as Prosecutor Edgeworth lightens up."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Listen, pal, I've been working with Prosecutor Edgeworth long enough to know when he's in a bad mood. Recently, he hasn't been in a bad mood in a while. It's kinda nice, actually."

Phoenix mentally sighed, figuring that was as specific as Gumshoe was going to get. Besides, he doubted Edgeworth would mention anything about any kind of social life to, well, anyone. "So, how are you doing, Detective Gumshoe?"

"Pretty good, pal!" Gumshoe then leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Listen, I've been meaning to ask you a question. How do you ask a girl out?"

"Like out on a date?"

"Yeah."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head. "Uh, I guess just go up to her and ask her if she wants to have dinner with you."

"So you recommend the direct approach, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. Is this about Maggey?" Phoenix was a little surprised he still hadn't asked her out yet.

"Hey, keep your voice down!" Gumshoe said in a loud whisper. "I guess you figured it out, but yeah, I wanna ask Maggey out."

He gave the detective a big smile. "I'm rooting for you, Detective." Those two really would be perfect together.

"Thanks pal." He turned back to the stack of papers in front of him. "I better get back to work. See you around."

Phoenix said goodbye and left the police precinct. From what Detective Gumshoe said, Edgeworth wasn't not happy about their renewed friendship. However, he didn't say anything about Edgeworth actually being happy, but then again, Pheonix doubted Edgeworth would ever appear happy around Gumshoe. So that meant Edgeworth was for the most part okay with what was going on. That was a bit of a relief, anyway. Now he could press on with more confidence.

It was at breakfast that Miles made his announcement. It had been over a week since their argument, and Franziska had made no indication that she had cooled down any. If anything, she was even more hostile than when he first came. It was obvious they were not going to have any rational discussion, at least not for a while, and Edgeworth was tired of waiting. He would return in a few months to try and talk to her, maybe by then she would be more receptive.

"I'm returning to Los Angeles tomorrow."

Franziska immediately froze and stared at him. "You're leaving tomorrow? Why so soon?"

"It's been almost two weeks since I've arrived, and quite frankly I'm bored here."

"You could try cases if you have nothing else to occupy your time. Our prosecutor's office could certainly use the help."

Miles shook his head. "It's time for me to go back. As I said before, my life is there now."

Franziska let her knife drop with a clatter. "I was hoping you weren't serious when you said that. So, you're just going to leave me again, Miles Edgeworth?"

"You don't honestly expect me to stay here indefinitely, do you?"

He was met with silence.

Miles took a sip of tea before speaking again. "I'll visit again in a few months, sooner if you need me."

"Don't bother. I'm coming with you."

He nearly dropped his cup in surprise. "I thought you hated it there?"

"I do, but I figured I would take the opportunity to take care of some business over there."

Miles frowned. As far as he knew, she had no business left in Los Angeles. She was merely following him. He wasn't really sure if that was a sign of progress or not. Either way, he couldn't deny that he was glad she was coming with him. Actually, this seemed like the best option. Maybe some time away from Germany would have an impact on her. "You are welcome to stay at my house, of course."

"I plan to, my business won't take long."

Suddenly it occurred to him that she really did have something to do in LA. Namely, defeating a certain defense lawyer. As if beating him would be the answer to everything. Miles was about to say as much, but then thought better of it. No use arguing about it now, and besides, any reason really was a good enough reason to get Franziska to come with him.


	3. Chapter 3

It was another boring day at Wright and Co. Law Offices. With all the cases Phoenix took the past few weeks, there was now an actual backlog of paperwork and filing to be done. It wasn't much of a backlog, but it still took longer than Phoenix thought it would because he still hadn't memorized the filing system Mia, and then later Maya, set up. Maybe when he was bored enough he'd refile everything using a system he created and thus could easily memorize. He was in the middle of trying to figure out where the bicycle theft file would go when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello Wright, this is Edgeworth speaking. I wanted to let you know I got back from Germany today."

Phoenix immediately broke into a wide grin. "Edgeworth! I'm so happy you're back!"

"You won't be so happy once I tell you who I brought with me."

That could only be one person. "Wait, Franziska came with you?"

"Yes, and she is determined to beat you in court, Wright. Expect her to be your next opponent. I suggest you get it over with sooner rather than later."

"Is she still seeking revenge?"

"Not exactly. She wants to beat you to teach me a lesson."

"Uh, how does that work?"

"I'm sure she'll tell you herself."

Phoenix pushed the thought of that inevitable confrontation out of his mind. "Enough about her, how are you?"

"I'm glad to be back, actually. I wasn't trying cases in Germany, so it will be a relief to get back to work."

Phoenix frowned. Edgeworth was avoiding the obvious. "Was it hard to bury him?"

There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. "Not for me, no, but Franziska took it harder than I thought she would. It's probably why she's lashing out at everyone, even without her whip."

"Oh." Here he was busy worrying about Edgeworth, when it was Franziska who was having the hardest time. It was her father who died, after all.

"I wouldn't worry about it too hard, Wright. I actually think being here with me is the best thing for her."

"Well, good luck with that."

There was a slight pause on the line before Edgeworth spoke again. "So, uh, what have you been doing lately?"

Phoenix couldn't help but smile. It was almost cute watching, or in this case, listening to Edgeworth trying to be social. "Oh, not much. I won a case while you were gone, then I visited Maya." Their last conversation suddenly flashed in his mind, but he blocked it before it could take root. "She's, uh, doing well."

"I see. It sounds like you were busier than I was for once."

"Well, you had your hands full with other things."

"Not really, I've been on the receiving end of the silent treatment for the past week."

"So what have you been doing during all that?"

"I caught up on some reading, and I took the opportunity to study the Japanese language. I may take a look at their new justice system eventually."

Phoenix was bored just thinking about it. What did this man do for fun? "So when can I see you again?"

"It might be a while. I have to get caught up with everything at the Prosecutor's Office, plus I'll need to settle Franziska into her new job here. I'll call you when I can."

"Oh, okay." He tried not to sound too disappointed.

"I have to go, Wright. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."

"Bye." Once again Phoenix waited for the click on the other end before hanging up. Despite not being able to see him right away, Phoenix was so relieved that Edgeworth was finally back. He didn't even care that he was going to get whipped to death the next time he was in court. Edgeworth was home again.

* * *

Driving home from the Prosecutor's office, Miles realized how thankful he was to be back at work. He loved his job. He loved using his highly refined logic and reasoning skills to piece together clues and come up with answers. He liked fighting crime and convicting those who broke the law. He loved battling it out in court, where the truth always revealed itself.

He only wished Franziska loved being a prosecutor for the same reasons. Instead, she was determined to use it to prove her perfection. She was still holding on to what Manfred von Karma drilled into her. She was probably latching on even harder because of his death. Like if she held on tight enough to his ideals, then he really wouldn't be gone. How frustrating that she ended up mourning her father that way.

He pulled up to his house in Los Feliz. It wasn't the largest house on the block, he had no need for all that room, but it did provide some of the best views of downtown in the city. Living there meant that his commute wasn't near as bad as some of his colleagues, although it was true he was only one of a very few in the Prosecutor's Office who could afford such a place. Being an adopted von Karma did have one advantage.

Miles parked his car next to Franziska's rental in the garage. Only now was she old enough to get her own car. It was always something of a shock to Miles, being reminded of Franziska's actual age. She had the responsibilities of someone ten years older, and handled them with flying colors. Only when she was pushed to the brink did she act like the young woman she was.

Setting up Franziska with the Prosecutor's Office proved to be a bigger hassle than Miles thought it would be, mostly due to budget issues. Finally she agreed to a temporary part-time position, as that was the only way they could afford to hire her. Of course, the part time qualifier was a lie, as Franziska worked on just as many cases as he did. The temporary part was what Miles had some issue with. Ideally, he wanted to get Franziska hired on a permanent basis. That proved to be impossible, however, and he wondered how long the temporary position would last. Knowing how the Prosecutor's Office worked, it would be at least a few months, but what happened if Miles needed more time than that to be with Franziska?

They weren't fighting per se, but things were still strained between them. Conversations were short, answers were terse, and Franziska never looked happy around him. Miles wasn't really sure how long this would last. He knew if he started that conversation up again, it would lead to another fight, and who knows what Franziska would do after that. His only option was to remain patient, and wait until her trial with Wright. Maybe after that things would get better.

* * *

It had been almost a week since Edgeworth called about his return, and Phoenix hadn't heard from him since. He trusted that Edgeworth was simply busy, and not just avoiding him.

Suddenly an idea hit him. Phoenix checked the court schedule for the day. Edgeworth was prosecuting a case in courtroom 4. If he left now he'd just make it in time. He immediately ran out the door and hopped on his bike.

Once he reached the courtroom Phoenix quietly slid into a gallery seat in the back. For some reason he didn't want Edgeworth to know he was there, watching him in court.

It was a dazzling site. Edgeworth really did look like a demon, albeit a cool, collected demon using precision strikes when needed. His glare chilled Phoenix even from way in the back. It somehow seemed worse than when he was on the receiving end of that glare. Probably because he was too busy trying to think up another crazy bluff to really notice how the prosecution was looking at him. Now that he was merely a spectator, Phoenix could fully appreciate just how truly scary Edgeworth was in court. It thrilled him, but only because he knew Edgeworth was not trying to simply get the accused found guilty. Edgeworth was fighting with everything he had to uncover the truth, regardless of what the final verdict was.

Phoenix had to admit the whole thing was actually kinda sexy. He'd have to go to more of these. It sure beat doing nothing at the office.

As soon as the trial was over, Edgeworth quickly gathered all his papers and files together and left the courtroom without so much as a glance to anyone. He was gone before Phoenix even manged to get out of his seat. As much as Phoenix wanted to meet up with Edgeworth after the case, it was obvious he was too busy to talk to anyone. Phoenix only hoped that Edgeworth would get back to his usual workload sometime soon. He was exhausted just thinking about it.

That night Phoenix looked over the schedule again, to see when Edgeworth's next case would be. Instead, he discovered Franziska von Karma would be in court the next day. From the looks of it, this would be her first appearance since coming back. Edgeworth made it sound like she hadn't changed a bit since last time he saw her. Might as well see for himself, Phoenix reasoned.

Phoenix was very careful not to get noticed as he took a seat in the courtroom. The last thing he needed was a premature visit from Franziska. As the trial began, she was just as arrogant and whip happy as usual. Phoenix felt sorry for the defense. He knew just how much getting struck hurt.

As the trial went on, however, Phoenix started to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe it was from not being used to such vicious prosecutors. Either way, Phoenix swore Franziska was actually worse than before. Evidence seemed a little bit too convenient. Witnesses said all the right things. It was like watching Demon Prosecutor Edgeworth at work. Scratch that, it was like seeing Manfred von Karma at work. Phoenix shuddered. He knew Edgeworth was watching over her, however, and he trusted him to make sure Franziska didn't falsify court records. That made him feel better, but he still dreaded his next case.

The next day, a full week since the last call, Phoenix got a call from Edgeworth.

"I'm sorry I haven't called, but I've been rather busy."

"Oh, no problem." Phoenix didn't mention that he saw him in court yesterday.

"I was calling to ask if you wanted to have lunch some time."

"That sounds great." He tried not to sound too enthusiastic.

"It will have to be short, it's the only thing I can manage."

"Still busy?"

"Not so much now, I just don't want you to run into Franziska."

Oh boy, if she hated him that much, Phoenix couldn't wait until they met at trial. "Is it that bad?"

"I just figured you could do without the verbal abuse she'll inflict on you."

That was...surprisingly thoughtful, actually. "Oh, well, thanks."

"Anyway, shall I meet you somewhere tomorrow?"

"I know, let's meet at the burger place Maya always likes, near the courthouse."

Phoenix could almost hear Edgeworth frowning through the phone. "That stuff is hardly edible, Wright."

"Hey, at least we won't run into Franziska." More importantly, though, Phoenix felt like it was his turn to pay for their meet ups. It wasn't as if he didn't like Edgeworth picking up the check, but it just didn't seem fair if he paid for everything.

There was an audible sigh. "All right. I'll meet you there at noon tomorrow. Goodbye."

"Bye." This time, Phoenix didn't bother waiting for the other end to hang up before putting the phone back.

The next day, shortly after noon, Phoenix was sitting across from Edgeworth at a booth, with two value meals between them.

"This is what you usually eat for lunch?" Edgeworth asked, looking at but not touching his food.

"Well, sometimes I brown bag it, sometimes I just grab an energy bar from my desk." Sometimes he even skipped lunch all together, like what usually happened when he was investigating a case. "I used to go here a lot more when Maya was around."

"I see." Carefully Edgeworth unwrapped the burger in front of him, and seemed appalled by what was inside. "I can't believe Maya likes these things."

Phoenix only mostly managed to suppress his laughter. "It's not that bad. We're both alive, after all."

"Your food standards are way too low if your only requirement is that it doesn't kill you." With some trepidation, Edgeworth picked up his burger and took a bite. "This tastes only slightly better than how it looks," he said after finishing. Surprisingly, however, he took another bite.

Phoenix smiled and started on his own burger. Seeing Edgeworth like this, comfortable enough to try new things, was amazing. Edgeworth was finally starting to shed the walls that was keeping him so closed off.

"Still busy at the prosecutor's office?" Phoenix asked, popping a fry in his mouth.

"Yes, but with Franziska helping out at least for now, it should get a little better."

"Is she planning on staying?"

"I would like her to, but the decision is up to her. Right now her only plan is to defeat you in court."

How wonderful. "Maybe I shouldn't take any cases for a while."

"Don't worry about her, Wright, just do what you normally do."

Yeah, well, he wasn't the one in danger of getting whipped unconscious. Phoenix decided to change the subject. "Did you hear the news from Gumshoe yet?"

"That he finally asked Maggey Byrde out on a date? Yes, he was quite excited about that. Seems like that was the only thing he talked about."

"You didn't give him a lecture, did you?"

"Why would I? As long as he's on task it doesn't matter what his mood is."

Phoenix remembered what Gumshoe said before, that Edgeworth wasn't in a bad mood lately. Maybe this is what he meant. "I can't believe it took them this long to get together."

"I wouldn't get too carried away. They've only been on one date."

Phoenix waved that off. "Those two were meant to be together, trust me."

Edgeworth raised his eyebrows. "How can you be so sure when there's so little evidence either way?"

"Love doesn't need evidence, Edgeworth." Phoenix took a sip of his drink, and was hit with what Maya said about love. He quickly drained what was left and got up to get a refill. That was the last thing he wanted to think about.

Just as Edgeworth had predicted, the next time Phoenix was in court he faced off against Franziska von Karma. He was dreading their reunion, but Edgeworth told him to get it over with as soon as possible. Besides, he needed money for this month's rent.

"Phoenix Wright, I will finally beat you today." Franziska said as they met in the lobby. "I will prove what it means to be a prosecutor."

That's right, Edgeworth mentioned something about Franziska having some weird motive. "Uh, what do you mean by that?"

"Ever since you came into my little brother's life, you have been feeding him foolish nonsense. Poisoned him, in fact. I will put an end to that right now by defeating you in court. He will see how wrong his thinking was and be reminded what being a prosecutor truly means."

"Nice talking to you again," Phoenix said as he all but ran from the lobby. He wasn't quite sure how a court battle decided all that, but he understood her point. Or at least he thought he did. She wanted Edgeworth to go back to the way he used to be, when he only cared about getting guilty verdicts. However, Phoenix was quite confident that was never going to happen, regardless what happened in court.

Suddenly he felt bad for Edgeworth. Franziska was impossible to deal with on a good day. How bad was it when she was grieving her father?

The trial involved a murdered ex-boxer, and the defendant was the victim's former manager. There was plenty of evidence against the defendant, although not many witnesses. Phoenix knew it would be a tough case, even without Franziska as the prosecutor.

During the trial, Phoenix noticed that Edgeworth was in the audience, watching. He wasn't really hard to spot, somehow he managed a front row seat every time Phoenix saw him. Interestingly enough, however, Edgeworth sat near the defense table. As the trial got more and more heated, Phoenix couldn't help but notice that Edgeworth appeared to support the defense. It was the little things, like a slight nod of agreement when Phoenix made a critical point, or else a frown when Franziska was being especially aggressive. Franziska was also aware of those small gestures, and it only made her crack her whip harder.

On the second day, Phoenix finally revealed that the real culprit was the victim's wife, who was also a boxer. She killed him when he refused to continue coaching her, saying that she was washed out.

When the not guilty verdict was announced, Phoenix looked over at Edgeworth, and surprisingly, he was smiling. Well, the truth was finally revealed, after all. He looked across the courtroom to Franziska, partially hoping she wouldn't take the loss as bad as before. At first he thought she was just standing there, grabbing the end of the table with her teeth gritted, but then he quickly noticed that she was actually shaking from anger at losing. Strangely enough, however, she wasn't looking at him. She was looking directly at Edgeworth. Phoenix cringed. That couldn't be good for anyone.

Phoenix was about to leave the courthouse when Edgeworth came up to him, looking worried.

"You haven't seen Franziska by any chance, have you?"

"I would assume I was the last person she wanted to see."

"I suppose." Edgeworth sighed. "I was hoping that I could talk to her, but I can't find her anywhere."

"Yeah, she looked more upset than I've ever seen her before." He only caught a glimpse of her before she left the courtroom, but he remembered clearly what he saw.

"I've seen that look once before." Edgeworth said with a frown. "Well, I have to go and find her. She probably left the courthouse by now. Congratulations on your win, Wright. I'll see you later."

Edgeworth quickly left, and Phoenix had a feeling something much worse than he realized was going on between those two. He felt a little guilty about somehow being the cause of it all, even though that was what Edgeworth wanted. There wasn't anything he could really do now, however. He would just have to call Edgeworth tomorrow and see how things went.

* * *

Franziska was pacing in the formal living room, her mind racing with the day's events. She couldn't believe she had lost to that same foolish fool yet again. That was bad enough, but the worst part was Miles Edgeworth. Even her own little brother sided with that defense attorney. How utterly despicable. She could still see him so pleased with himself as soon as the not guilty verdict was announced. She had never felt so betrayed in her life. Franziska knew Miles was talking like a fool, but to see that foolishness in action was a painful blow.

As soon as that sham of a trial was over with, she stormed out of the courtroom and took a taxi straight home. She could see Miles wanted to talk to her after the trial, probably just to gloat, but she was too angry to deal with him. Now that she was home she could think clearly. She needed to whip some sense into one Miles Edgeworth, and punish him for his betrayal.

When Miles finally came home, she was ready for him.

"The traitor finally arrives," she said with as much disgust as she could manage.

There was a sigh. "Wouldn't you feel awful if you got the wrong person convicted?"

"It is the job of the police to arrest the right suspect. It is my job to convict them. You should be well aware of that."

"It is my job to uncover the truth."

Franziska unleashed her whip on Miles. "Enough of that!"

Miles rubbed his stricken arm. "Do you see how miserable you are right now? How angry you are at everything? It doesn't have to be that way, you know. Having a defendant found not guilty is not a failure. You don't have to feel this way."

"You talk like that, yet I see your record says the opposite. Your conviction rate is quite impeccable."

"That's because I make it my job to ensure that the police arrest the right suspect. Even then you'll notice that I'm not perfect. Sometimes I make a mistake, and arrest the wrong person. When that happens, I'm relieved that the defense is there to correct my mistake."

"What kind of pathetic excuse for a prosecutor are you to be thankful for the defense? They are only there to be defeated." She was ready to whip him again.

"The defense is there to make sure the truth gets revealed. Finding the truth is the most important thing during a trial, far more important than who wins or loses."

She struck him again. "I told you I don't want to hear about your truth!"

Miles merely flinched. "Fine, forget about the truth. Just focus on the fact that you do not need to use the courtroom to prove your perfection. In fact, you don't need to prove your perfection at all."

"What are you talking about?"

Miles moved a step closer. "You don't need to be perfect. Trying to be perfect will only lead to misery."

Franziska was getting bored of this. It was obvious Miles wasn't going to apologize for anything, so there was no point in talking to him. "I believe we've had this discussion before. You have no concept about what it means to be perfect."

"Can't you see that trying to uphold some fake family legacy is completely meaningless when all it does is cause you pain?"

That response wasn't even worth the effort to whip him. "I am through with you." She turned and started to leave the room.

"Wait!"

Franziska stopped, but didn't turn around.

"You don't need perfection to be loved. I am your brother and I will always love you no matter what."

She made it to her room before she felt a tear run down her cheek. She flopped on her bed and wiped it away. What did love have to do with anything? She felt more tears fall and hated herself for it. She hated herself for letting Miles get to her, especially spewing all that foolish nonsense he was so fond of. Maybe Papa was right after all. He said that Miles Edgeworth was nothing but a failure, that she should stop wasting her time with him. But she had resisted him, telling him that she could set her little brother right again. Being perfect was a lot easier when Miles was with her, even if he wasn't really a von Karma.

However, Miles Edgeworth had proved that he was indeed nothing more than a failure. She would wash her hands of him, be done with him like Papa said. She would be perfect all by herself.

Now that it was settled, there was nothing keeping her in America. She didn't want to leave this country just yet, though. She was enjoying her time with Adrian too much to cut it short. Ever since she came back she was spending more and more time with her, especially since Miles Edgeworth kept on insisting to meet with that foolish fool defense attorney. If her little brother was with friends, than she would be too.

Adrian always had time for her, always listened to her. She had a knack for calming Franziska down when she was getting too frustrated with foolish fools. Not even Miles Edgeworth did that. Quite simply, Adrian was giving her the support that Miles Edgeworth would not.

She would call her tomorrow and ask her to dinner. She would tell her about how her little brother abandoned her, and Adrian would cheer her up. Yes, she would do that, and then decide what to do next. There was no hurry to leave, after all.


End file.
